Lets Not And Say We Did

Thirty Three

Patrick answered the call and began speaking in whispered tones. He glanced over his shoulder at Pete. Mouthing the words I'm sorry before he walked into the small beach house.

Pete stood up and dusted the sand off of his wet shorts. He stormed off in the other direction of the beach. Ryan sighed and ran to catch up with him.

"What was that about?" He asked through labored breaths.

"What?" Pete didn't stop walking.

"That." He pointed in the direction of the house. "Andy calling Patrick."

"I don't know."

"What happened with you and Patrick?"

"What do you mean?"

Ryan stopped walking to stare at Pete with a raised brow. Pete stopped too. He didn't look Ryan in the eyes. Instead, he stared behind him. Towards the house.

"You kissed him."

"So?"

"Why?"

"Brendon was looking." He shrugged.

"No he wasn't. Brendon hasn't looked anything but that sandcastle."

"Maybe." Pete sighed and scratched at the hairs beginning to grow on his face. "I just wanted to kiss him."

"Because you like him, right?" Pete just narrowed his eyes. "Right?" Pete pursed his lips. "RIGHT?!"

"Yes."

Ryan began jumping up and down and squealing like a ten year old girl at a Justin Bieber concert.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"Calm down!"

Pete grabbed his shoulders to keep him still.

"Calm down? My extremely hot best friend is coming out to me!"

"I. Am. Not. Coming. Out." He shook him with every word.

"Well, you like a guy."

"Yeah, but just that one guy. I'm not attracted to any other guy."

"Thanks."

"Not to say that I don't think you're an attractive man-"

"And?" He twisted his palm. Signaling for him to continue.

"And you have great hair?"

Ryan smiled. "And?"

"And a great fashion sense."

"And?"

"And you're really pushing it." Pete crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine. Fine!" Ryan rolled his eyes. "So you like a guy?"

"Yes."

"Then why aren't you freaking out about this?"

"You want me to freak out?"

"Its not that I want you to." Ryan said each word carefully. Slowly. "It's just that you almost kissed him in the park and you nearly had a nervous breakdown. Now you think you might actually like him and you're weirdly calm."

"I don't feel like I'm going to freak out."

"Are you going to tell him that you like him?"

"I did."

"What? When?"

"Just before that Andy guy called and interrupted."

"What did he say?" Ryan was jumping up and down again.

"He didn't have a chance to say anything. Brendon called him over with the phone."

"You have to go talk to him!"

"He's on the phone-"

"Who cares? I told you before that Patrick thinks he likes you. And now you like him. You guys both like each other. So why not give this thing a real try?"

Ryan was speaking quickly. So quickly that Pete wasn't sure he heard everything he was saying.

"Okay! I'll go talk to him."

Ryan pushed Pete towards the small beach house. Pete couldn't remember ever being this nervous about talking to someone. Especially not about something as simple as liking them. He was always confident in that area. But it was different with Patrick.

He walked past Brendon. But Brendon didn't pay any attention to him. What kind of adult man is so focused on a fucking sandcastle?

He walked into the house. The door was already open from when Patrick entered. He stopped when he heard Patrick talking.

"That's not my problem anymore, Andy."

Pete knew he probably shouldn't be ease dropping. But he was curious as to why Andy called in the first place. So he pressed his back against the wall and peaked in the room.

Patrick was walking around in circles. His hand was running through his wet hair.

"You did it. You ruined it when you cheated on me with Joe. Oh yes you did cheat!"

He paused as he listens to what ever Andy was saying.

"That's bullshit. You're engaged to him. It's much more serious than that."

There was a longer pause.

"But I'm not engaged to Pete, am I? You broke up with Me. Of course I was going to try and move on."

Short pause.

"He's a famous billionaire. Of course we're going to be photographed."

Patrick's face softened and he stopped walking in circles as he listened to what the man was saying.

"I know that, Andy."

Sad sigh.

"And I love you too. I'll probably always love you."

That's all Pete needed to hear. He walked out of the house as quietly as possible. Ryan was waiting for him outside but he ignored him.

"How'd it go?"

Pete didn't answer the question. He just walked until he got to the water. Maybe a cold swim would help.

Of course Patrick was still in love with his ex. They were together for almost ten years. Pete was an idiot to think Patrick would just move on with him.

This was a fake relationship. And Pete would make sure he remembered that from now on. No more touching or kissing unless they were in the public eye. No more crushing on the guy.

Pete just needed to convince the Ways that he wasn't a homophobe and then he and Patrick could split. Forever. And Patrick could go back to the man he still loved.